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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. hand — in cards
  3. firm — steady
  4. mate — to breed
  5. board — to get on
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. content — the amount
  8. content — happy
  9. board — a committee
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. firm — a company
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. hand — help
  16. squash — the sport
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. mate — a friend
  19. firm — decided
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. mate — a partner
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. wake — a trail

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com